21 year old London-based producer Equinox (real name Marlon Sterling) was introduced to that city’s hardcore and drum and bass scenes early on thanks to his uncles, and from these auspicious beginnings he’s managed to accumulate a substantial reputation on the dnb scene, forming links with Bizzy B, founding his own Inperspective label and going to remix the likes of Photek and DJ Crystl. In the wake of appearances on Planet Mu’s ‘200’ and ‘Sacred Symbols Of Mu’ compilations, this latest 12″ sees Equinox offering up two Amen break-loaded tracks that certainly pay homage to classic mid-nineties junglist styles. On the A-side of this 12â€, ‘Vivid Dreams’ plays the spooky darkside card, sending an eerie dubbed-out female whisper floating seductively over a rattling backdrop of ‘Amen’ breaks that could almost pass for Photek circa ‘The Hidden Camera’, shortly before things lock down into junglist dub pressure amidst rippling electronic effects, juddering sub-bass rumbles and fussilades of liquid-dnb snare programming that pack a slight breakcore edge. On the flip, ‘Make You Flex’ comes a little more out of its shell by comparison, opting for soulful Detroit-tinged synth pad atmospheres and hard-headed breakbeats that almost recall Omni Trio. While it’s certainly a more extrovert offering, the hypnotically looped sample of a woman singing “there’s something going round inside my head” still shows Sterling tweaking a sense of underlying paranoia at the very edges, to strong effect. Those looking for a dip back into classic junglist styles should be well pleased.
Chris Downton
